Fitness & Exercise

This pathfinder is designed to help you find authoritative information about fitness and exercise. Resources on this topic are available in the following areas of the IPL: Fitness Programs, Exercise & Fitness, Fitness Journals & Tracking, Nutrition & Diet, Healthy Lifestyles and Exercise & Fitness Associations The following sites are in addition to those in the links above and can be used to get started on a fitness routine of your own. Please remember that you should always consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Your physician can advise you as to the type and frequency of exercise that is best for your particular situation.

Internet Resources

About.com Exercisehttp://exercise.about.com/od/healthinjuries/a/internetinfo_2.htm
About.com contains links to many top fitness and health websites. Includes topics such as: Comprehensive Health and Fitness, Fitness and Exercise, Nutrition and Weight Loss, Medical/Health, Workout Apparel, Equipment and Videos, and much more.

American Heart Association Healthy Lifestyles
http://www.heart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200009
This website gives authoritative information on such topics as diet and nutrition, exercise and fitness, and managing your weight. It also provides health tools, and information about cardiovascular disease and stroke.

ExerciseLifeTips.comhttp://exercise.lifetips.com/
This is a great site providing a variety of fitness related tips. In addition to basic planning, it also has sections for Body Training, Injury Prevention, Trainer Selection, Specific activities (Aquatic, Walking/Running, etc) and recommended Books.

HealthierUS.gov
http://www.healthierus.gov/
Sponsored by the Executive Office of the President and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the HealthierUS initiative "is a national effort to improve people's lives, prevent and reduce the costs of disease, and promote community health and wellness. On HealthierUS.gov you will learn how to: Make physical activity a part of your day, eat more healthy foods, protect yourself and your family from illness, and avoid risks to your health and the health of your loved ones." This website provides links to resources on physical activity, nutrition, preventive screenings, and making healthy choices.

iVillage Diet and Fitnesshttp://www.ivillage.com/diet/
This website is run by NBC and iVillage, and is a comprehensive and excellent source of fitness and health information. It provides reviews of the latest diets and exercise programs, as well as body assessment tools, E-newsletters, and articles by known professionals in the fitness and health industries.

MyPyramid.gov
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
MyPyramid.gov is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and gives in- depth information about what makes up the food pyramid. There are also menu planners, dietary, activity and nutrition trackers, information on pregnancy and breastfeeding, and interactive activities for kids.

Start Making Choices: Your Plan for a Balanced Lifehttp://www.startmakingchoices.com/
The Balanced Life Plan was developed by Dr. James Rippe, MD. and is a free, personalized program designed to help you achieve balance in nutrition, activity and well-being. To begin, complete the Balanced Life index survey in order to customize a plan specifically for your needs. "Nutrition, Activity, and Well-being guidelines are based on MyPyramid recommendations developed by the USDA, and derived from recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Rippe Lifestyle Institute."

Print and Offline Resources

To search for books in your local or school library, the following call numbers should be referred to as they relate to Fitness and Exercise:

Dewey Decimal Classification System
613.7
613.2

Library of Congress Classification System
RA 776
RA 781

Basedow, J., & McGrath, T. (2008). Fitness made simple: the power to change your body, the power to change your life. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Harper, B. (2008). Are you ready!: take charge, lose weight, get in shape, and change your life forever. New York: Broadway Books.

Michaels, J. (2007). Making the cut: the 30-day diet and fitness plan for the strongest, sexiest you. New York: Crown.

Moffat, M., Lewis, C. B., & McAndrew, J. M. (2006). Age-defying fitness: making the most of your body for the rest of your life. Atlanta: Peachtree. Simon, H. B. (2006). The no sweat exercise plan: lose weight, get healthy, and live longer. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Phillips, S., & Williams, P. (2008). Strength for life: the fitness plan for the best of your life. New York: Ballantine Books.

Collage Videoshttp://www.collagevideo.com/
Comprehensive website which claims that all workouts are done by reviewers. Videos can be searched by workout goals, type, instructor, or equipment. This website also includes specialty workouts for pregnancy, seniors, kids, back pain, and special needs.

Video Fitnesshttp://www.videofitness.com/
This site has tips on how to evaluate if a video is right for you, how to choose videos generally, and some video reviews.